Game appliance



' June 19, 1923. 1,459,389

L. C. BRCJWN- GAME APPLIANCE v iled Dec. 30 1921 Patented dune 31$ LOUIS U. BROVTN, 0F SASAKWA, OKLAHOMA.

GAME APPLIANCE.

Application filed December 30, 1921. Serial No. 525,992.

2' '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, LOUIS G. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sasakwa in the county of F eminole, and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Ap pliances of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to game appliances and more particularly to a ball catching and throwing stick or club adapted to be employed, with the requisite degree of skill" in catching a ball in its flight and throwing the same.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide an appliance for the purpose stated which may be conveniently shaped from an integral piece of wood and completed in its structure by the use of leather thongs in such manner that it will withstand the effects of rough handling to which it is subjected in use.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the appliance embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the catching and throwing end of the appliance;

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of said end;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of said end.

The appliance comprises a handle indicated in general by the numeral 1 and a ball cat-chingand' throwing head indicated in general by the numeral 2, and the said handle may be of any desired cross sectional shape and dimensions and of any desired length. The appliance. except for certain thongs which are employed, is preferably fashioned from single iece of wood of the requisite length and for this purpose any tough and suitably hard wood may be employed such for example as hickory or wellseasoned pecan, Having selected the piece of wood of requisite length, the handle 1 is first fashioned, and then the selected stock is thinned from a point indicated by the numeral 3 in the drawings to the adjacent extremity of the stoclz so that for this portion of its length the stoclz will be substantially of strip-like form. Also in the preparation of the stock the handle 1 inwardly of the point 8 is cut away at one side as indicated. by the numeral lw and the terminal portion of the strip-like part of the stock is left slightly thicker than the remaining portion and is suitably shaped to a contour such that when the strip-like portion of the stock is looped or bowed upon itself as indicated in the several figures of the drawings, this terminal portion which is indicated by the numeral 5 may be disposed in the recess or cut away portion 4 of the handle and will fill the same and conform to the general surface shape of the handle. In order to se cure the terminal portion 5 in position against the handle, a thong 6 of leather or any other suitable material is wrapped about the parts any desired number of times and its ends are secured in any suitable and well-known manner. Preferably the term1-' nal portion 5 is notched upon its rounded outer surface as indicated by the numeral 7 so that the turns or wrappings of the thong 6 may engage in this notch. and in this man ner anchor the terminal portion so that the same cannot slip from engagement against the cut-away portion of the handle 1.

The hes d 2 is formed by bending the striplike portion of the stock upon itself in the manner above explained and this head is of the general open elliptical form shown in the drawings and comprises side portions 8 and a relatively broad curved major end or connecting portion 9, the said portions 8 being brought together substantially at the point 3 to form the minor or narrow end of the head and being united at this point by a thong which is wrapped a number of times about the said portions 8 as indicated by the numeral. 10. The side portions 8 are preferably given a slight longitudinal curvature as shown in Figure 4c of the drawings, so that the broader end of the head is turned slightly in forward direction as indicated by the numeral 11. and the side portions 8 of the head are somewhat distorted, as best shown in Figures 9/ and 3 of the drawings, so that the opening defined by the head is wider at the front than at the rear, the said portions 8 throughout the greater part of their length occupying forwardly diverging planes. Thus an approximately spoonshaped head is provided and in order to provide a catching and retaining surface within the opening of the head, the thong 10 when first assembled with the head, is laced through openings 12 formed in the portion 9 of the head, and the two strands are then arranged in crossed relation as indicated by the numeral 13, within the wider portion of the head, after which the strands are led behind the rear edges of the side portions 8 of the head and threaded through openings 14 formed in these said portions, the strands being again crossed, as indicated by the numeral 15, at the narrow end of the opening and again ledbehind the rear edges of the portion 8 and then wrapped about these portions substantially at the point 3 in the manner previously eX- plained and as indicated by the numeral 10.

The stick or club above described may be employed, by the exercise of skill, in catching a ball' in its head, and a ball so caught may be cast or thrown by swinging the stick or club.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A game appliance comprising a handle formed from Wood or similar material thinned for a portion of its length and having its thinned portion looped back upon itself with its terminal part resting against one side of the handle and therebyprovidv ing an open substantially elliptical head,

and a thong secured about the handle and about the said terminal part.

2. A game appliance comprising a handle formed from wood or similar material thinned for a portion of its length and having its thinned portion looped back upon itself and with its terminal part resting against one side of the handle and thereby providing an open substantially elliptical head, and a thong secured about the handle and about the said terminal part, the terminal part having a notch in its outer side receiving the thong. I

3. A game appliance comprising a handle formed from Wood or similar material thinned for a portion of its length and having its thinned portion looped back upon itself and with its terminal part resting against one side of the handle and thereby providing an open substantially elliptical head, a thong secured about the handle and about the said terminal part, and a thong laced across the opening of the head and secured about the same substantially at its juncture with the handle.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

LOUIS 0. BROWN. 1 a 

